The word boteh translates to “tree” or “shrub” in Persian and describes the droplet-shaped design that, in western culture, has become known as the paisley. Traditional Boteh patterns have adorned textiles in parts of South and Central Asia for nearly two thousand years. The boteh’s multiple symbolic meanings often center around themes of life and renewal, and of the whole always existing within its parts; some people describe the boteh as a fully grown tree enclosed inside its own seed pod.

In this IN FLUX installation, the artist brings the boteh, popular in her hometown of New Delhi, India, to her adopted home in the Arizona desert to explore ideas of belonging and establishing roots while maintaining our own identities.